Cheap range finders (1 Viewer)

[Space]

Is there such a thing or something similar? If so can anyone point me in the right direction?

What's the Natura S like (directed at ICUH8N)?

 

[quasiquasi]

Well, Soviet Leica copies can be cheap (Google "Zorki" or "Fed") and sometimes even reliable. Old battered Leicas and Contaxes can be affordable, but not usually cheap. There's lots of info on rangefinders in general at www.cameraquest.com. The best-known budget rangefinder is the Bessa R2A/R3A sold under the Voigtlander brand - they're a lot cheaper than Leicas, about €500-600 new, and can also be used with Leica M lenses if you happen to have any handy.

I don't know that the Natura S is a rangefinder - the only information I can find suggests it's an automatic point-and-shoot with a very fast wideangle lens.

Others (i.e. Herr H8N) know a lot more about this than I do...

 

[JohnnyRaz]

I think the soviet rangefinders can be quite hit and miss, I dont think the quality control was great, so you can either get a good one or a terrible one. I got a fed 3 off the internet, and while ok and fun to play arround with it wasnt really up to scratch quality image quality wise (it was 30+ years old tho!).
I think voigtlander bessas are quite cheap (relatively) and are still in production...

Well, Soviet Leica copies can be cheap (Google "Zorki" or "Fed") and sometimes even reliable. Old battered Leicas and Contaxes can be affordable, but not usually cheap. There's lots of info on rangefinders in general at www.cameraquest.com. The best-known budget rangefinder is the Bessa R2A/R3A sold under the Voigtlander brand - they're a lot cheaper than Leicas, about €500-600 new, and can also be used with Leica M lenses if you happen to have any handy.

I don't know that the Natura S is a rangefinder - the only information I can find suggests it's an automatic point-and-shoot with a very fast wideangle lens.

Others (i.e. Herr H8N) know a lot more about this than I do...

 

[ICUH8N]

quasi is right, it's just a fast 24 with a sharp lens. Truth be told, I haven't even developed my first roll out of it, I use my T3 exclusively for p&s stuff. The voigtlander rangefinders are great, and while not exactly cheap, still a hell of a lot cheaper than leica bodies.

 

[Space]

Cheers for that lads. Since buying the digi slr kinda been tempted to buy something small aswell. Let me know when you get around to developing your first roll, I'm very tempted by the price tag at the moment.

Any other small film cameras people can recommend. There was a Pentax (I think) I read about that loadsa fashion photographers were using a few years ago, possibly T10 or something like that.

Cheers again.

 

[quasiquasi]

Any other small film cameras people can recommend. There was a Pentax (I think) I read about that loadsa fashion photographers were using a few years ago, possibly T10 or something like that.

Maybe you're thinking about the Yashica T4? Used to be the compact of choice for cool people. Less discontinued is the Olympus mju-II, which I think is the best-selling camera ever. It has a fast 35mm lens, fits in a pocket, and was the only camera I had for years. Recommended, and probably dead cheap!

 

[ICUH8N]

Yeah could well be the Yashica T4 or Electro GSN
There's also the Ricoh GR1 and the Contax T3 (the T3 is amazing. 2.8 Zeiss Sonnar, sharpest, most contrasty lens ever, but really hard to get now)

 

[Shay HT]

For a cheap and differnet camera check out www.holga.net

 

[Space]

Cheers guys. It was the contax T3 I was thinking of. I'll have a look around at the others when I get a chance.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

a month too late perhaps; but I just got one of these babies off ebay for 40e including shipping; a canonete ql17

its light, quiet, pretty tiny (fits in my pocket), and quite cleverly put togther. Even has shutter priority/and semi automatic flash operation. By all accounts the lens(40mm fixed) are pretty sharp, although I havent finished my first roll of film. Light seal foams on the back door have gone the way of manys a 70's light seal-ie into gloop, but nothing that felt and a bit of supergloo wont put right. Meter works fine with 1.5 V batteries and tinfoil , which is handy as you cant get the 1.35v cells aparently. I'll throw up any worthwhile pics when I get them if anyones interested.

 

[RSJ]

You should, would love to see what comes out of it.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

a month too late perhaps; but I just got one of these babies off ebay for 40e including shipping; a canonete ql17

developed and scanned the first roll; some of these have suffered from a cheap scanner and less than expert photoshopping (#3 in particular), cant wait to get the negs into a darkroom. Reckon its a nice little camera tho, given that it could be up to 40 years old exposures were all acurate (it'll take me a while to get used to the above the lens meter, after years of center weighted TTL), and the lens guves nice crisp images with good contrast and tone. A bit of a bargain at 40e!! would recomend it

 

[magicbastarder]

there's a yashica rangefinder in the dublin camera exchange for about €70 at the mo - looks in decent enough nick.

 

[Goff]

Was given a Kiev rangefinder by a friend last night. Cost twenty quid on ebay. Meter doesn't work.

Can't wait to see the pics.

I'm sure they're disgustingly lo-fi.

But it's fun.